Gospel Economics (2 Corinthians 8:9)
- Ben James
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
[For] you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. —2 Corinthians 8:9
When it comes to negotiating, the first rule is be willing to walk away. You never want to be taken advantage of, and you especially don’t want to spend more than what something is worth. You must come out on top. In the world’s economy this makes perfect sense, but God’s economy is not like the world’s. God pays more than we can imagine and gives more than we deserve.
The rich became poor
We see how much God paid when we consider the riches Jesus gave up. From eternity past God the Son was in perfect, personal community with God the Father and God the Spirit (Genesis 1:1-2, John 1:1). He enjoyed the eternal glory of God the Father (John 17:5). He enjoyed the love of the Father constantly pouring out on him (John 17:24). He received the honor as the Creator and Sustainer of the cosmos (Colossians 1:15-17). These were His riches—the honor and glory of the Triune God.
Yet, “though he was rich…he became poor.” God the Son in all His splendor laid aside His rightful riches to take on man’s poverty. In Philippians Paul says, "Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:6-7).
Becoming a man was Jesus’ first step into poverty. When God the Son was conceived by the Spirit in the Virgin Mary, he instantly became poor. He took off the crown, jewels, and robe of a King to by swaddled in a manger as the child of a poor, outcast couple. In his coming He embraced poverty.
The pinnacle of His poverty, though, came at Calvary where Jesus paid the ultimate price, giving up His life. In taking on our human nature and all our weaknesses, Jesus emptied much more than His pockets. On the cross He emptied himself. What is stunning about this is that He did it for us. Don’t miss that in the text: “though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor…” (emphasis added). Jesus wasn’t simply setting an example. He wasn’t paying for sins generally. He gave up His glory and poured out His blood for us. He paid every penny we owe for our sin, personally.
God’s economy defies our categories. In the world’s economy we never want to overspend. We have to be willing to walk away from a deal if it costs us too much. But He wasn’t willing to walk away despite the infinite cost. He paid for us. God the Father gave His beloved Son to pay the ransom for ungodly rebels (Romans 5:6-8). For our sake He became poor. This should cause us to sing out like Charles Wesley did in his hymn, And Can it Be?:
And can it be that I should gain
An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain–
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?
The poor became rich
What should thrill our hearts even more is when we consider not just what He paid for us but what He has caused us to become. “Though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” The richest became the poorest so that the poor would become rich.
Jesus emptied Himself to fill us. He became poor so that we would receive His riches, including adoption as children of God (Ephesians 1:4-5); righteousness so we can worship before His throne (Revelation 7:13-15); and the imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance due to heirs of the King (1 Peter 1:3-4). Ultimately, however, the greatest treasure we have been given is Jesus himself. He is ours and we are His, always and forever, world without end.
This is God’s economy of glorious grace. He paid it all so that in Christ we might have it all (Romans 8:31-39). May we daily remember that we who were once poor have been made truly, eternally rich because our Lord Jesus Christ became poor for us.
For Reflection
What does it mean that Jesus became poor for you?
How might being rich in Jesus help you fight discontentment?
How can being rich in Jesus change your stewardship of worldly treasures (i.e., time, talents, and treasures)?
Ben James is the Associate Pastor of Chapelwood Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN. He has served Chapelwood since 2020, beginning as an elder and going on staff in 2022 following his graduation from Indianapolis Theological Seminary in 2022. He also serves on the Administrative Team of Plant Indy which works alongside churches in the central Indiana area to plant and revitalize churches. He is married to Brentyn, and they have three wonderful children.
